The Nation: Police await bribe co

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Politics 

      Police await bribe
      complaint

      Even though police are now equipped with
      information they believe could lead them to
      the perpetrator of a Bt5-million bribe
      connected to the Salween logging scandal,
      the case could easily fizzle out if bribe
      target Prawat Thanatkha does not officially
      report it, police warned yesterday. 

      Crime Suppression superintendent Pol Col
      Wisanu Muangpraesri, who is in charge of
      gathering evidence on the case, said police
      are now held back by the fact that Royal
      Forestry Department Deputy
      Director-General Prawat had not yet
      reported the alleged bribe to police. 

      This means the police cannot probe the
      allegations and proceed with the case, he
      said. 

      On Thursday police produced a sketch of
      the alleged bribe giver based on accounts
      given by Prawat's wife. The sketch matched
      the likeness of Winai Panitchayanuban, 46.
      Winai, who owns timbering company Saha
      Wanakit Co, has denied involvement in the
      Bt5-million bribe. 

      Prawat was questioned yesterday by
      Central Investigation Bureau chief Seri
      Temiyavej, who said he knew who had
      attempted to bribe Prawat but would not
      name the suspect. 

      Agriculture Permanent Secretary
      Thaweesak Sesavej said his deputy
      Pitipong Puengboon na Ayutthaya had
      resigned as chairman of the Agriculture
      Ministry's committee looking into the bribe
      because he was Prawat's friend. 

      Pitipong was replaced by Prasert
      Suekwattana, an inspector-general at the
      Agriculture Ministry. 

      Defence Permanent Secretary Gen
      Yuthasak Sasiprapa denied knowledge of
      an accusation that Karen National Union
      president Bo Mya had directed against
      Thai authorities. 

      The Karen claimed that Thai authorities
      employed ethnic Karens to falsify the origin
      of felled logs to indicate that they had come
      from Burma, not Thailand, during the
      Chavalit Yongchaiyudh administration. 

      ''If there was any such allegation, Prime
      Minister Chuan Leekpai, in his capacity as
      defence minister, would certainly order an
      investigation into it,'' Yuthasak said. 

      Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said
      police investigation of the bribe would
      begin on Monday when a team of
      investigators, which would include Seri,
      would be created. 

      ''This case has come this far and it will
      definitely not fizzle out,'' he said. 

      Sanan said the sawmills that were supplied
      with illegal logs did not fall within the
      authority of the Interior Ministry. He added
      that he had ordered the closure of border
      checkpoints through which illegal logs
      passed. 

      He denied that he had been informed of the
      identity of the person who tried to bribe
      Prawat. He said he had asked the Finance
      Ministry and the Customs Department to
      impose a ban on timber imports. 

      The Nation